Abstract

Libbrecht and Libbrecht recently described a thermoelectric temperature controller for which they claimed an absolute accuracy of 100 mK. They did not specify the heat-dissipation coefficient for their thermistor temperature sensor—which would dissipate more power than is usual in such circuits— nor make any allowance for self-heating in the thermistor. Self-heating can be expected to have introduced more than 100 mK of absolute error in their circuit.

Abstract

Libbrecht and Libbrecht recently described a thermoelectric temperature controller for which they claimed an absolute accuracy of 100 mK. They did not specify the heat-dissipation coefficient for their thermistor temperature sensor—which would dissipate more power than is usual in such circuits— nor make any allowance for self-heating in the thermistor. Self-heating can be expected to have introduced more than 100 mK of absolute error in their circuit.